Consider the current healthcare delivery models and practice settings. Reflect on how nursing practice is transforming in response to the current demands of the healthcare system and answer one of the following questions:

1. What differentiates the practice of a master’s-prepared nurse compared to that of a baccalaureate-prepared nurse?
2. What is the value of a master’s degree in nursing?
3. What do you consider to be the most essential professional competency for a master’s-prepared nurse practicing in the 21st century?

Refer to AACN Essentials, Chamberlain University Nursing Conceptual Framework and other scholarly sources. Use at least one outside scholarly article to support your position. Provide an example to illustrate an application to professional practice.

Solution:

With increased complexity and the changing patients’ needs, the value of advanced education in nursing cannot be overlooked. Therefore, there is a need to ensure that the nursing workforce is highly educated to ensure that patients can access high quality as well as patient-centered care. In light of this, a master’s degree has a range of benefits in nursing. First, a study by Clark et al. (2015) reported that a master’s degree enhanced the nurses’ critical thinking, improved decision making as well as empowered them to challenge poor practices in their healthcare organization. The study further noted that master’s education changes how the nurses analyzed and synthesized information. The nurses, therefore, gain a better understanding of the discipline enabling them to engage in a higher level of practice. The impact of this include provision of better health care due to enhanced problem-solving skills and decision-making skills leading to better patient outcome…